Perhaps the reason that Mario Balotelli is unhappy is due to his lack of first team involvement and this may well be down to Roberto Mancini’s insistence that Man City must have a number of players vying for every single spot that invariably leaves top international players warming the bench and therefore as a result getting frustrated.

The young Italian international returned from a successful Euro 2012 finals only to see both Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez ahead of him in the Man City pecking order. Indeed Edin Dzeko may well also be annoyed at having to click his heels waiting for poor form or injury to strike before he gets a Premier League start.

Therefore it seems odd that Roberto Mancini would be lining up another big money signing as if he did land a player of Radamel Falcao’s calibre then clearly it would have to mean that another of his first choice forwards would be out of the loop and the whole vicious circle strikes again.

However in Mario Balotelli’s case, more so than with the aforementioned Dzeko, there are mitigating circumstances related to his conduct both on and off the field of play that could well force the former Inter Milan to leave the club.

Compare ticket prices for the upcoming El Clasico matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Buy Real Madrid and FC Barcelona tickets for the second El Clasico of the season at the Santiago Bernebeu on 3 March and many more La Liga matches with the leading ticket comparison site